Six-bit character code: Difference between revisions

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{{Short description|Computer encoding of characters}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2019|cs1-dates=y}}

A '''six-bit character code''' is a [[character encoding]] designed for use on computers with [[word length]]s a multiple of 6. Six bits can only encode 64 distinct characters, so these codes generally include only the upper-case letters, the numerals, some punctuation characters, and sometimes control characters. The [[IBM 7 track|7-track]] [[Magnetic -tape data storage|magnetic tape]] format was developed to store data in such codes, along with an additional [[parity bit]].

==Types of six-bit codes==

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The TTS code had two pairs of shift codes allowing a total of four shift states. The first operated much like a keyboard's shift key and selected between a lower-case and digits repertoire, and an upper-case and symbols one. A second pair of Linotype-specific "lower rail" and "upper rail" shift codes would select an alternate (usually italic) font.

===BCD six-bit codecodes===

Six-bit [[BCD (6-bitcharacter encoding)|BCD]] code wascodes thewere adaptationadaptations of the [[punched card code]] to [[binary code]]. [[IBM]] applied the terms ''binary-coded decimal'' and ''BCD'' to the variations of BCD ''alphamerics'' used in most early IBM computers, including the [[IBM 1620]], [[IBM 1400 series]], and non-[[IBM 700/7000 series#Decimal architecture (7070/7072/7074)|decimal architecture]] members of the [[IBM 700/7000 series]].

===COBOL databases six-bit code===